In recent years, there has been considerable improvement in the area of pulsed power research, which involves the storing, shaping, and performance of high energy density capacitors used in pulsed power applications. These pulsed power applications may require extremely high discharges of voltage and current. For example, discharges of high voltages in the 10 kV or more range and high current in the 150 kA or more range have been proposed. Historically, high-energy electrical devices for pulsed power applications have been limited to a single discharge. Any subsequent discharges would require a time-intensive rebuilding and replacement of components before a second high energy discharge could take place. Repeatability of high energy discharges in the high power range in a short amount of time has been considered difficult or impossible to achieve based upon the extreme environment created by such discharges.
Therefore, what is needed is a switch and fuse device which overcomes the deficiencies of the past, and which enables multiple, high-voltage, high-current discharges of pulsed power in a short timeframe.